What Motivates Me



Finding motivation within yourself to do something is very difficult. You have to want something. We are talking REALLY want it. You have to come up with a plan to achieve what you want. Now here is the hard part...you have to put that plan into action!

 

 



It took me a long time to stop making excuses. We all know the excuses. I don't have enough time, there isn't a gym close enough to me, I won't get enough sleep, I don't like doing that, I don't know if I can do it...blah blah blah. My main excuse? I kept saying for months that I would start working out every day when we purchased an elliptical machine for our house. It's all I have wanted for the past two years. I want an elliptical machine because I have bad knees, and I don't want an injury to be my new excuse. I used to work out on one all the time, and I know the results I can achieve if I stick with it. Cardio is the best way for me to slim down. Well, something always comes up. We run into some other expense that makes it so that it's not really smart to make that huge purchase.



I have lots of work out DVDs sitting in our media closet. I have weights, a yoga mat, gym shoes, sports bras...what more do you need? Heck you don't even need some of that stuff either to get in an effective work out. So what was the problem? I didn't want it bad enough. I hate working out to DVDs. I ABSOLUTELY hate it. Hate. Hate. Hate. But you know what I hate more? Looking in the mirror and seeing the same pathetic body that doesn't look cute in clothes I want to wear. The body that isn't worthy of a bikini at the beach. The body I am embarrassed to have. Why? Because I KNOW that I can be better. I can be healthier. I can be stronger. I can be more confident. I am not giving myself my all.



Why did it take 2 years of making excuses to finally just do it? What clicked? I am not quite sure. I had planned to start on a Monday, but Sunday evening I wasn't feeling well. I had a headache from hell, and was going on day number 5 with it. I knew that waking up at 4:30 am and trying to work out wasn't going to help it go away so I decided I would start another day when I could give it my all. Finally on Tuesday evening I decided that there was always going to be some reason that I could find to not do it. I needed to just buckle down. I know that after a few days I would get into a routine and it would get easier. So I set my alarm.



Wednesday morning the alarm went off at 4:30 am. I rolled over to turn it off and laid there for a minute. I am too tired to do this right now. I still don't feel great. Then a voice in my head told me to just get up, that I was done making excuses. I got up and said this is it Nadine, we are going to just do it. Now I know why Nike's slogan does so well. I got up and pulled on my work out gear, went into the living room and whipped out good ol' Julian Michaels 30 Day Shred. If anything is going to whip my jiggly ass in to shape, it was going to be that bitch!



I did the first work out. It was hard. I was sweating and had to stop a few times, but I did it. I felt so good once I got out of my clothes and into the shower. I did it. I did the whole work out. Now I just need to keep doing this and I will start to see results.



I have gotten up at 4:30 am every day since. I have not missed a single work out. I have worked my way through level 1 and started on level 2. My first goal is to complete all 30 days. I have had that DVD for almost 3 years, and I have never made it to level 2. I am not going to sit here and tell you that it is easy for me. Some mornings I wake up and I am just so damn tired and the last thing I want to do is listen to Julian tell me that she has 400 lb people doing jumping jacks, so can I. But I know that if I get up and do it, I will feel accomplished after the work out is over. I will see a smaller number on the scale. My pants will be a little lose that day. So I do it. Every. Damn. Day.

 



I have also been keeping track of my food with my fitness pal. It is the best way to hold yourself accountable for your calorie intake. I know in the back of my mind that whatever I put into my mouth needs to be logged, so it keeps me on track. I quit drinking diet soda. I don't treat myself to any candy or chocolate. It takes about a week or so of constant healthy eating with no cheats, and my taste buds change. I don't have sweet cravings anymore.



What motivates you? Did you just wake up one day and decide that it was the day that you were going to change? It is not easy, but nothing that is worth something is ever easy.